ISLAMABAD: In a news conference at a seminary in Islamabad, former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz demanded action to be taken against people insulting holy figures of Islam on social media.

The former cleric showed media screenshots of several controversial social media posts, saying that the authorities were not doing enough to arrest the culprits.

He said that had people made “such outrageous caricatures” of one of the prime minister, army chief or chief justice of Pakistan, the government would have sprung into action, but that it was “helpless” against those insulting holy religious figures.

He said that he had moved the Islamabad High Court to take action but the concerned authorities did nothing.

Presenting more demands, the cleric said that diplomatic ties with the United States should be severed following Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

He also said that several people associated with Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa had disappeared extra-judicially, and called for an explanation.

The cleric exclaimed that his blood boiled at seeing inappropriate online content, including “vulgar” content, and that he and his fellows wanted to go out and “turn this system upside down”.